SMARTBin

Climate change is a huge problem all over the world, with far reaching implications for sub-Saharan Africa. Many businesses seem to be negligent of the repercussions of poor environmental practices that seem to further stretch the damages climate change has caused communities. It is glaring that solid waste contributes directly to greenhouse gas emissions through the generation of methane from the anaerobic decay of waste in landfills. Populations across many communities in Africa seem unbothered about how behavioural actions regarding solid waste contribute to climate change induced problems for different communities and governments. Additionally, improper waste disposal system in Nigeria is ravaging communities and triggering climate change problems across the country. Moreover, harmful greenhouse gases are created from decomposing wastes heaped in mounds on many Nigerian streets. These wastes rise up to the atmosphere, trapping heat and in result, causing extreme weather reactions. Improper waste disposal blocks drainages, frustrating the efforts of governments at all levels in mitigating against poor environmental hygiene.

A 2018 report by Climate Score Card named Nigeria one of the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world. According to the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria generates one of the highest amounts of solid waste in Africa, with 32 million tonnes per year. Most of these, however, end up in landfills, sewers, beaches, and rivers. Research also reveals improper waste management does not only result in littering everywhere, but also in air and sea pollution- ruining both land, air and sea transportation systems. Inhaling carbon di oxide from waste, which is harmful to human health and our environment.

Nigeria’s total Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) are 492.44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), totaling 1.01 percent of global GHG emissions. Improper waste disposal also has devastating consequences such as flooding, which has rendered hundreds of Nigerians homeless. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the regulatory agency for natural and man-made disaster in the country revealed in 2019 that floods had displaced approximately 1.9 million Nigerians and the country that year, recorded 158 fatalities. It said no fewer than 129,000 persons were affected in 2020 and at least 69 lost their lives in flood disasters. Inclusive of other concerns of improper waste disposal such as public health problems, the consequences of behavioural actions, institutional negligence, and community disinterest further plunges the country into the climate change menace ongoing globally.

Furthermore, a 2012 research by Aliyu Nabego posited that current approaches at mitigation and adaptation to climate change in Nigeria have focused on restricting emissions of greenhouse gases but there have been no impact due to lack of awareness. According to World Bank, the world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with at least 33% of this number not managed in an environmentally safe manner. The global think tank further estimates that global waste is expected to grow to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050, more than double population growth over the same period.

Our Solution: SMARTBin

The SmartBin is an intelligent and innovative waste management systems aimed at curtailing, reducing and eliminating improper waste disposal in Nigeria. 

How it works: Smart bins are one of the innovative space/waste management technologies that leverages components such has ultrasonic sensor, humidity sensor, gas sensor, image sensor, load cell, wireless communication, visual fill status indicator, RFID tag, trash bin controller etc to promote hygienic environmental practices that reduces climate change problems. Once waste gets to a particular level, the wireless communication system is activated to send the needed signal to the waste management agency or team responsible for disposal. Data from all the installed sensors of SMARTBin is communicated to the trash bin controller at regular interval.

This solution - SMARTBin is aimed at localizing climate change efforts by engaging Nigerian youths to think creatively, utilizing already existing components and locally-sourced materials to design and build the SMARTBin to mitigate the climate change problems mentioned earlier. SMARTBin will revolutionize waste management practices and behaviours in rural and urban centres in Nigeria. In addition to the economic potential of its scalability, it will result in local content promotion of the ingenuity of Nigerian youths, attracting investment opportunities, collaborations and further research directions in smart devices and tools in Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics across the country. As Nigeria is still struggling in advancing with the rest of the world regarding technological utilization, the SMARTBin shall work with several Waste Management Agencies through a decentralized wireless communication system through computers and mobile devices. A Smart Waste Truck (SWT), which is ideal for SMARTBin can be explored later if the government and the private sector can collaborate in acquisition of these vehicles for enhanced intervention.

Our solution seeks to achieve the following objectives:

·       Efficient waste disposal and collection

·       Transforming operational costs and waste management benchmarks.

·       Data-driven insights

·       To shape the future of sustainable rural and urban living.

·       Behavioural change

SMARTBin will serve:

·       Households

·       Government Agencies (Waste Management Departments)

·       Businesses

·       Communities

According the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), households reached 43.0 mil in 2020 in Nigeria. At least, 39,654,385 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operated in Nigeria as of December 2021 as revealed by MoniePoint MFB. Additionally, all the 36 states of the Federation in Nigeria have Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency. Finally, Nigeria has 774 Local Governments with communities littered all through these regions. These populations are the target beneficiaries of the SMARTBin.

Ways these demographics are currently underserved:

Households: A 2013 survey of household waste composition and quantities in Abuja by Tochuchukwu Ogwueleka revealed that inadequate management of household solid waste is a serious problem in many developing cities in Nigeria. The wastes from 74 households across different socio-economic levels in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, were collected, weighted and classified on a daily basis for seven days in a week. The result showed that the average daily per capita household waste generation is 0.634 kg/capita/day, revealing that a statistically significant difference between household size and daily per capita household waste generation in high-income group, and no statistically significant difference between household size and daily per capita household size and daily per capita household waste generation in low-income group. There are a lot of solid waste leaving high-income households, middle-income households and low-income households to dump sites and many times houses and streets become unbearable due to inability of waste management agencies to carry out timely routine waste disposal exercises.

Government Agencies (Waste Management Departments): Due to the burden of covering a lot of locations, waste management agencies usually have difficult time going round to collect wastes and dispose them accordingly. This is primarily because there are no detection systems to alert them of fill-levels across locations.

Businesses: Businesses with premises around bin locations that are filled with stench odour often have patronage problems. Public health problems are often sited as reasons for avoiding certain locations due to these problems.

Communities: The environment often feel the brunt of improper waste disposal because of the level of human behaviour that trigger climate action. Communities, which are products of these environments face huge problems when climate actions do not promote its growth.

How SMARTBin will address their needs:

Behavioural Change: Households, businesses, waste management agencies, and communities will become more involved in reducing climate change triggers via improper waste disposal. Agencies will also be prompt in responding to fill-up signals, communities will galvanize efforts to safeguard their SMARTBins through security measures, businesses will increase their profits through repeat visitors when the environment is conducive and well taken care of. 

Reduced cost: The waste levies given to households and business premises are quite exorbitant, especially in big cities. Waste bins if designed to filter waste types, can bring viable recycling opportunities while reducing waste management costs for households, businesses and communities.

Public Health as Public Good: Good health is a driver of sustainable development.

Africa Space Foundation has its primary goal of pioneering space education and exploration in Africa. SMARTBin is entirely a household/community-centred intelligent system bringing the needs of households, businesses and communities in one place. SMARTBin will be designed by Nigerian University students who shall compete to contextualize the needs of families, businesses, waste management agencies, and communities. Over the years, Africa Space Foundation has driven STEM-based and Space Science interventions across educational institutions in Nigeria. We are currently running Space Clubs in public and private secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory having received the approval by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) through the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

Our interventions are aimed at integrating Space Science into Nigeria’s educational system, supporting the STEM-based efforts of the Federal Government. Space technologies, which SMARTBin is one of the intelligent systems that leverage space science can lead to rewarding public health and environmental safety outcomes. Our experience and commitment towards sustainable education leverage space science makes ASF fit and ready to engage University students demographic through the SMARTBin Project.

The teamlead of Africa Space Foundation, Amb Ayotunde Fasanya has also demonstrated incredible leadership, fostering collaborations such as education virtual tours with National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA), collaboration with Zimbabwe National and Geospatial Space Agency (ZINGSA), funding support from private airline during our 2023 Annual World Space Week. His unalloyed passion for human capital development makes our interventions worth the effort because of his belief in equipping the next generation of young people for sustainable development. Currently, ASF is in talks and developing an MoU with Egyptian Space Agency to provide experiential space technology education and exchange programs for Nigerian students. Furthermore, we just concluded our Annual Space Science Conference on the 13th of April with Keynote Speakers from United Kingdom, Egypt, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. This event is organized with the sole aim of bringing a convergence of space actors and enthusiasts to discuss emerging trends in the field and proffer sustainable solutions to addressing some of the worlds enduring problems such as that of climate change.

SMARTBin is currently being designed and will be applied through the functionality spectrum. This approach will enhance innovation among students who shall be also be supported to patent their innovation. The following approaches shall be deployed regarding proximity to the demographics.

·       Household Survey

·       Business Place Survey

·       Waste Management Agency Survey

·       Community Survey

The responses of this methodology shall be adopted into the final product design where these user-categories’ ideas, inputs and agendas shall be critically embedded in SMARTBin. Summarily, being positioned as Africa Space Foundation, our interventions shall not only be applicable or deployed in Nigeria. We are positioned to reach the African continent with measurable and innovative projects that improve living conditions of humans, safeguarding our environment and ecosystems, with human capital development and progressive society for all. Just like we love to say at ASF, “Imagine a world without space; imagine the future with you”, the future is space.

We are currently building a SMARTBin Prototype and currently undergoing the testing phase. We do not have any beneficiaries that the product serves yet. The prototype is geared towards engaging Nigerian University students to innovate their own SMARTBin in a high-level competitive process where ASF will select the overall innovative product for patent proceedings for the student(s).

We look forward to assistive efforts such as international patent rights, communication supports such as language filters. This will help young innovators protect their ideas and products from individuals and corporations whose aim might be to frustrate or hijack their ideas. Additionally, Nigeria has over 525 native languages. In this regard, we look forward to embedding top spoken languages to enable demographic participation in proper waste disposal efforts. These languages will also provide user-friendly assistance regarding operationality of the SMARTBin. We also look forward to strategic partnerships where SOLVE can help the students launch their products into new markets and also provide platforms for global internships, fellowships or shadow opportunities for these young innovators. At ASF, we believe that networking, strategic collaborations, and sharing ideas can be much more powerful than money. This informs our actions and continuous search for opportunities that can increase the visibility and chances of African youths showcasing their ingenuity to the rest of the world.

SMARTBin rests on the Internet of Things (IoT) Principle, bringing innovation at its core to the students and communities in which it will be deployed. Improper waste disposal and management will be greatly reduced due to the innovative approach of the intelligent system. Households will begin to have shifts in attitude regarding waste disposal. Businesses will improve the quality of service delivery when their environs are well managed. Waste management agencies of governments will have assistive tools and systems to make their work easier. Governments will form new policies that will promote safe waste disposal practices countrywide. The private sector will also have opportunities to jump into this emerging market for competition.

Most importantly, Nigerian environments will be safe, reducing climate change triggers that result from human behaviour. SMARTBin also gives young Nigerians, especially students in STEM-based fields to critically look at proffering relevant solutions to community problems rather than just focusing on receiving paper qualifications as degrees. It aims to match skills with impact, thereby reducing the unemployment and under skilled workforce littering organizations all through the country. In a much broader context, the project shall change the import syndrome of millions of Nigerians, who believe that only products shipped into the country from overseas are durable and of great quality. The SMARTBin is targeted to demystify this largely held belief, thus promoting the local content capabilities of Nigerian youths and our ever-resolute commitment to grow the Naira when we produce and buy local. Currently, the Nigerian currency is rated as the second most performing currency in the world, having survived a turbulent period of devaluation in recent times. SMARTBin promises to contribute to the economic stability of the country, particularly owing to locally sourced materials and the creative force of Nigerians.

This will revolutionize the environmental waste management market in Nigeria, leveraging on our population and other African countries by extension.

SMARTBin rests on conservation theory of change, which believes that:

People care deeply about protecting and restoring the places they live or spend considerable time. This project supports the power of communities to identify local solutions to globally shared challenges. SMARTBin project also rests on the fact that innovation is a vehicle for collective action, bring novel ideas, opportunities and growth for all. This project supports the fact that human lives and the natural world are interconnected and the underlying theory of change for SMARTBin Project is that:

·       It is possible for people to behave in ways that are consistent with respect and care for our environment, whilst also caring for other aspects of their lives and livelihoods.

·       A paradigm shift is possible, in which preserving and regenerating the natural world is no longer seen as a burden, but as a desirable good for people socially, culturally, and economically- with the right tools  and systems in place.

SMARTBin model operates in a defined trajectory – a locally based model to encourage persons and businesses that care passionately about their local area to give back to their environments.

Families, businesses, and communities through the SMARTBin Likelihood Impact Assessment reveal that this project will be key in eliminating limitations regarding improper waste disposal and general environmental management practices by persons and agencies.

Okubanjo et al (2024) in their work, Smart Bin and IoT:  A Sustainable Future for Waste Management System in Nigeria, presented a smart waste bin management system (SWBMS) that integrates various sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to improve real-time tracking of waste bin information, which can optimize waste collection efficiency in Nigeria.

Behavioural and attitudinal change: SMARTBin will be utilized to change wrong waste disposal and management behaviours. This will be measured through negative public perception change, healthy waste disposal actions, and widely-accepted outcomes amongst the demographic mentioned for this project.

Stimulation of Further Research Directions: SMARTBin leverages Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for its operability and functionality. Universities shall be equipped with use case(s) for more in-depth study in this area. This will be measured through research interests in these fields within the confines of environmental safety and climate change research for sustainable development.

Environmental-centered Laws and Policies: SMARTBin will be used to sensitize opinion leaders and policymakers to draft, enact, and ratify new laws and policies that will promote the Nigerian environment and natural ecosystems. This will be measured through successful laws and policies passed at the different legislative arms of the Nigerian government.

Clean and Safe Nigeria: The National Orientation Agency (NOA) will be engaged through SMARTBin Campaigns to engage and educate Nigerians, tourists and friends of the country on measures to curb improper waste disposal in the country. This will be measured through citizens’ awareness and national consciousness regarding climate change actions that preserve our environment.

Innovation-driven society: The Environmental Waste Management segment in Nigeria is greatly underserved. Many communities face endangering public health challenges due to poor waste management. SMARTBin aims to provide innovative capabilities and the indigenous spirit necessary to result in innovation-driven communities. This will be measured through the number of startups, civil society organizations, educational institutions, government agencies and communities united in action to infuse innovation as a core element of sustainable development in their activities.

Utilization of Space Technologies: We also look forward to familiarize Nigerian youths through the SMARTBin with space technologies, giving them opportunities to widely study, embrace, and deploy these technologies to solve local climate change challenges.

Ultrasonic Trash Sensors offer a sophisticated solution to the challenges of waste management. By equipping bins with ultrasonic sensors that emit sound waves, these sensors can accurately measure the fill level by analyzing the echoes. This technology enables optimized collection routes, as crews are dispatched only when bins are nearing capacity, reducing unnecessary trips and fuel consumption.

Solar-powered Waste Compactors represent a sustainable and efficient approach to waste management. These compactors, powered by the sun and strategically located in high-traffic areas, compress waste as it enters, significantly reducing its volume. This innovation leads to cost savings and environmental benefits, as the compactors can hold more waste—translating to reduced collection frequency.

Image-based Trash Sensors revolutionize waste sorting and disposal. These bins use cameras to capture images of deposited waste, which advanced AI algorithms analyze to identify specific waste types. This enables efficient sorting at the source, differentiating between recyclables, organics, and general waste. Furthermore, analyzing the types of waste disposed of can inform targeted educational campaigns, promoting responsible waste management practices.

Waste Level Sensors provide real-time monitoring of bin fill levels, enabling efficient scheduling of collection based on actual fullness. This optimizes operational efficiency and improves hygiene by preventing overflowing bins, contributing to a cleaner and more hygienic environment. Furthermore, optimized collection schedules minimize unnecessary collection trips, leading to fuel savings and reduced wear and tear on vehicles.

AI-recycling Robots automate sorting and processing, accurately sorting different recyclable materials at high speeds. This improves sorting accuracy, minimizing human error and contamination of recycled materials. Moreover, with robots handling the sorting process, labor costs associated with manual sorting are significantly reduced.

Blockchain Apps create a secure and transparent digital ledger for tracking recycling. This allows stakeholders to track the recycling journey from collection to processing and potential reuse. Enhanced transparency and accountability foster trust and responsible waste management practices.

Plasma Gasification is an advanced technology that converts waste into usable products. It can break down waste and generate syngas, a synthetic gas that can be used for electricity generation.

Advanced Composting Technologies handle larger volumes of organic waste and accelerate the breakdown process. This results in high-quality compost, which is nutrient-rich and ideal for use in landscaping or gardens.

Machine Learning analyzes vast amounts of waste management data, predicting future waste volumes and suggesting efficient collection routes. It can also identify areas requiring increased resources or predict maintenance needs for waste management equipment.

IoT Sensors connect waste management devices to a network, collecting real-time data on fill levels, location, and operational status. This data can be used to automate decision-making processes, such as scheduling collection or triggering maintenance alerts. Additionally, IoT sensors enable comprehensive system integration, connecting all elements of the smart waste management system for seamless communication and data exchange.

4 Full time staff

2 part-time

1 contractor

1 year

Traditional hiring practices may lead to homogenous teams and execerbate unconscious bias at the Foundation. By redefining our hiring process, ASF broadens her candidate pool and ensure that we are attracting candidates from diverse backgrounds. Currently all our full time and part-time members of staff are from different ethic groups in the country. The ASF Board also has Prof.Tilmann, an European with other seasoned African minds sitting at the board level.

At ASF, we practice empathetic leadership which is very essential for building a diverse team. This helps us to have a deep understanding of our employees’ experiences, needs and perspectives. We also try as much as possible to create a safe and inclusive workplace where employees feel valued and heard, which may lead to greater employee engagement, productivity and job satisfaction. We find the space to understand and address the unique challenges that our diverse employees may face. We commit to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace where employees can bring their whole selves to work without fear of discrimination or bias. This leads to greater diversity in the workplace. In our community projects, beneficiaries from underrepresented groups feel more comfortable and supported through our empathetic leadership skills.

At ASF, we foster a workplace culture of belonging and respect, recognizing and celebrating the differences that make each employee unique and create opportunities for employees to share their perspectives and experiences. This build trust and foster stronger relationships between employees from diverse backgrounds.

We cultivate a culture where ASF employees feel comfortable expressing themselves and their ideas without fear of judgment, discrimination or retaliation. This enables them to share their diverse perspectives, experiences and ideas, which leads to improved creativity, innovation and problem-solving at the Foundation.

Safe spaces also a culture of inclusivity and belonging at the Foundation. ASF employees feel valued and respected and are engaged and committed to their work. This eliminates workplace biases and discrimination.

ASF creates a sense of belonging and acceptance for all employees, regardless of their backgrounds or identities. Our employees feel included and valued may be more likely to contribute their unique perspectives and experiences. Inclusive behaviors at the Foundation such as grant writing, NGO Management training, course development, also help to break down unconscious biases and stereotypes in the workplace.

SMARTBin Business Model

Key Partners:

Environmental Tech Businesses

Software companies

Development partners such as United Nations Environment Programme, Habitat for Humanity etc.

Key Activities:

Waste disposal

Waste collection

Waste recycling

Key Resources:

21st century-compliant technologies such as blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), University research laboratories, Nigerian youths (Tertiary Institution students or young people in vocation-based education centres) etc.

Value Proposition:

Indigenous SMARTBin, locally produced in Nigeria to curb poor waste disposal behaviour and management.

Customers:

Households, businesses, waste management agencies (government), and communities.

Costs:

Procurement of manufacturing resources – softwares, components etc.

Channels: International journals, university news channels, social media, national and state radio stations and television, private television and radio stations, word of mouth etc.

Revenue: Sale of SMARTBin to households, businesses and communities. Repeated purchases and sales to other African countries.

Customer relationships: Period of purchase celebratory messages and impact stories from households, businesses, agencies, and communities.

Major Funding Route: Grant awards through development partners focused on climate change solutions globally and in Africa.

Sustainability Plan:

Innovation Grants: Innovation grant awards shall also be leveraged to provide the necessary funding to pilot, field-test, and deploy SMARTBin. This will give us the needed traction to facilitate the funding for project scalability.

Sale of SMARTBin: SMARTBins shall be sold to the demographics mentioned in this project. Governments across the Federal, State and Local levels shall also be involved in ensuring all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country adopt SMARTBin as their waste disposal system through contractual agreements and awards.

Development Partners: Climate change is ravaging the world and hundreds of humanitarian and development-centered organizations are looking for viable causes to support. These development partners are concerned about economic and social returns on investment. SMARTBin provides both and ensure donors receive both value and institutionalized report aimed at their organizations for the causes they care about.

Venture Capitalists Sourcing: SMARTBin shall seek for venture capitalists who shall provide take off and scaling funding through profit-directed investments.

Success of our SMARTBin Project So Far

Our international collaborations with NASA, ZINGSA, EgSA and quite a number of collaboration requests we have sent to space agencies and climate change organizations around the world is worth the effort. We have not received grants for SMARTBin yet or commenced sale of SMARTBin since it is still in its prototype stage, but the alliances we are receiving at the moment from global authorities in space science gives a snapshot of the possibilities that can happen regarding our projects at ASF. Last year, we received a generous donation of $1,000 from a (IZY Air) a private Nigerian airline for STEM/Space Science Education in Nigeria.